Off To The Races
by Tabbyluna
Summary: Some days, you wanna fantasize about all the things you could never do, or shouldn't do, in reality. This is a glimpse into Hugo's mind.


Hugo liked being cautious. Cautious meant that he didn't have to worry about nasty things like injuries, or getting dirty, or dying. He was happy with his job, where he would spend the day either looking after the library or hurrying around completing errands. Master Eon would try to make sure he didn't get too worked up, although most of the time his efforts would be in vain. He was a natural worrywart. To the point where Master Eon was frequently concerned for his mental well-being. No matter how many times he told him to take it easy, to calm down, he would carry on worrying, fretting and exhausting himself.

Flynn however, had the opposite problem. The pilot was well known for being a reckless chap, a lover of danger and a bold master of the skies. He loved adventures, flying, and there was no one he had more confidence in than himself. His ideal job would be one where he could be totally free, his own boss, with no one to answer to. He had spent most of his childhood in a small island, listening to the tales of pilots when they visited his Mother's pub for a drink. And that was how he got his love for adventures and exploration. In many ways, he was the polar opposite of Hugo, who second-guessed everything. Including himself.

He supposed that was why he found him so attractive, if he were to be honest with himself. Hugo did not pride himself on many things, but one thing that he liked about himself was that he was well-read. While he was primarily known for his extensive knowledge of Skylands and its history, he had over the course of his life read tons and tons of fiction. Books with tons of gripping action and adventure. Books with emotional melodrama and teen angst. Books with humorous scenarios and witty one-liners. And most common of them all, books with lovers, couples, heartbreak, kisses. Roses and chocolates and sweet nothings being whispered. Books about romance. He read books with it as the main plot, and even more books with the romance being a subplot. He read of opposites attracting. The princess and the peasant. The hard worker and the lazy man. However, he had yet to read a book about an intelligent, neurotic librarian and his adventures alongside a dashing, albeit somewhat accident prone pilot. He didn't mind, after all he read fiction to live a life different from his own. But a part of him always wondered what life would be like if he were bold enough to join Flynn on adventures. To run off with him, and live life on the fast lane.

They would sail the skies together, him held tightly in his big brawny arms. He would worry for Flynn's well-being, especially as they cross the more perilous and dangerous areas in the skies, but Flynn would always ease those worries with a lopsided grin and a cocksure pose. "No need to worry, Hugo dear," he would say, a laugh hidden in his voice. "I know what I'm doing. Just sit back and relax."

When they land in some seedy, vice-filled island, Flynn would carry on holding him close. "Just follow me, I know the area," he would say. And Hugo would nod and make sure to always stay near him. Loud music would play from every building, and neon lights would boast about having the best booze, girls, and bands this side of Skylands playing live. It would smell strongly of liquor and cheap perfume. A far cry from Hugo's world of books, tea, and scrolls filled with history. But for reasons he can't quite express, he still finds himself drawn to them.

They would head to a small bar, one where Flynn had a love-hate relationship with the owner. There, the two of them could spend the evening gambling, drinking, and maybe afterwards they could end up having some 'private time' together. Hugo had never drank anything stronger than a glass of chocolate milk, but in his fantasies, anything could happen. It both surprised and thrilled him, the fact that he could think of such things. And after this point, a million scenarios always played out in his head.

Some days the drinking came first, followed by a bar fight and a daring escape on their ship. Other days, he imagined Flynn winning at poker, and Flynn would spend his new fortune making sure Hugo was properly wasted. And others, he imagined shots. Dozens of them. Then a rented room, kisses, and crisp white sheets. Adventure, thrills, recklessness. They ruled Hugo's fantasies whenever he tucked himself in at a reasonable time of the night.

A part of Hugo was relieved that all these thoughts remained mere fantasies. They were reckless, stupid. About a million things could go wrong and ruin his life in those. He often woke up and started making a list in his head of the potential consequences. He was happy with his life, with his books and his friends. He was safe serving under Eon and helping the Skylanders fight evil. He was a productive member of society, who rejected the influence of vices and instead embraced the virtues every good citizen should embrace. This was the life he built for himself, it would be a shame if he were to waste it.

Yet at the same time a part of him wondered what that would be like. To live a life as reckless and crazy as the ones in his fantasies. To throw away all that he worked for, to pursue such a reckless lifestyle. Being a nomad with a boyfriend. Tossing aside responsibilities, leading a life only focused on the here and now. It all sounded so uncharacteristic of him. And he knew neither he nor Flynn would actually do such a thing. The Skylands needed protectors, and in their own ways they both helped the Skylanders do that job. But to him, there was nothing wrong with fantasising. And he supposed that he could keep doing that, imagining the wild adventures he and Flynn could have if only he had no moral code or fear of danger.


End file.
